From Thomas Jefferson to the Senate, 9 December 1803
To the Senate
To the Senate of the United States.
I nominate the following persons to the offices affixed to their respective names. to wit.
Francis Coffyn of Dunkirk in France to be Commercial agent of the US. at Dunkirk vice Charles D. Coxe declined.
Jacob Ridgway of Pensylvania to be Commercial agent of the US. at Antwerp. vacant.
John Mitchell of Pensylvania to be Vice-commercial Agent at Havre in France vice the Sieur de la Motte declined.
Henry Wilson of Maryland to be Commercial Agent of the US. at Ostend. vacant.
Lawson Alexander of Maryland to be Commercial Agent at Rotterdam v. Joseph Forman resignd.
John Forbes of New York now Consul at Hamburg to be Consul also for such parts of the circle of Lower Saxony as may be nearer to Hamburg than to the residence of any other Consul of the US.
William Clarke of Massachusets to be Consul at Embden, vacant.
John Leonard of New Jersey now Vice Consul of the US. at Barcelona, to be Consul at the same place vice William Willis resigned.
John F. Brown of Massachusets to be Consul at the island of St. Thomas. vacant
Isaac Prince of New York to be Consul for the island of St. Bartholomew, vacant.
It is to be noted to the Senate that the commission appointing a Consul to any port generally extends his powers to ‘such places within the same allegiance as are nearer thereto than to the residence of any other Consul of the US. within the same allegiance.’
John Childress junr of West Tennissee to be marshal of West Tennissee vice Robert Hays removed1
Thomas G. Thornton of Massachusets to be Marshal of the district of Maine, vice Isaac Parker whose commission is near expiring.
Dudley Broadstreet Hobart of Massachusets to be Collector and Inspector of revenue of Bath in Massachusets vice William Webb resigned.
Samuel Derby of Massachusets to be Collector of York in Massachusets and Inspector of revenue for the same vice Joseph Tucker removed.2
George Wolcott of Connecticut to be Surveyor and Inspector of the revenue for Saybrook in the district of Middletown in Connecticut, vice Richard Dickenson.3
Erastus Granger of New York to be Surveyor and Inspector of the revenue of the port of Buffalo creek in the district of Niagara vice Callender Irvine who declines.
Aaron Hassert of New Jersey to be Surveyor & Inspector of the revenue for New-Brunswick in New Jersey vice Andrew Lyle resigned
John Cutler of Maryland to be Collector & Inspector of the revenue for Snowhill in Maryland vice William Selby.4
Martin Tapscott of Virginia to be Collector & Inspector of the revenue for Yeocomico river in Virginia vice A. Thompson decd.
Peterson Gurley of N. Carolina to be Surveyor & Inspector of revenue for Winton in the district of Edenton in N. Carolina vice Lawrence Mooney decd.
Thomas T. Ferebee of N. Carolina to be Surveyor & Inspector of revenue for Indian town in the district of Cambden in N. Carolina vice Thomas Williams decd.
Reuben Smith of Georgia to be a 2d. Lieutenant in the Corps of Artillerists.
Thomas A. Smith of Georgia to be a 2d Lieutenant in the corps of Artillerists.
James Logan of Kentuckey to be an Ensign in the 2d. regiment of infantry.
Edmund Hayward of Maryland to be Surgeon’s mate in the corps of artillerists
James Lanier of Kentucky to be Surgeon’s mate in the corps of Artillerists.
Th: Jefferson
Dec. 9. 1803.
RC (DNA: RG 46, EPEN, 8th Cong., 1st sess.); endorsed by a Senate clerk. PrC (DLC); in ink in left margin, TJ added comments at four entries (see notes below) and check marks at the other entries. Recorded in SJL with notation “original Nominations.”
On 10 Oct., John F. brown applied to William Eustis, seeking an appointment as commercial agent at St. Thomas. Brown described the importance of having an American official on the Danish island. Merchants in New York and at St. Thomas had encouraged him to apply for the position, predicting that “from the present appearance of affairs, there will be considerable trade to that Island from America” (RC in DNA: RG 59, LAR; endorsed by TJ: “Brown John F. to Dr. Eustis. to be consul at St. Thomas”).
For the Treasury secretary’s effort to have Robert hays replaced, see Vol. 40:587-8, 589n, and John Childress, Jr., remained marshal for the district of West Tennessee until his death in 1819 (Nashville Gazette, 11 Sep. 1819). marshal of the district of maine: see John Langdon to TJ, 1 Oct. 1803. Thomas G. Thornton remained in office until his death at Saco, Maine, in 1824, at age 54 (Portland Advertiser, 6 Mch. 1824). Both Childress and Thornton received commissions for four-year terms, dated 21 Dec. 1803 (FCs in Lb in DNA: RG 59, MPTPC).
thomas t. ferebee: that is, Thomas C. Ferebee.
Lewis Harvie delivered TJ’s message to the Senate on 9 Dec., where it was read and ordered to lie for consideration. The Senate confirmed 16 of TJ’s nominations on 15 Dec. and approved the other 10 on 21 Dec. (, 1:459-61).
1. In margin on PrC: “drunkenness.”
2. In margin on PrC: “drunkenness.”
3. In margin on PrC: “extortion from his under officers.”
4. In margin on PrC: “for active opposition.”